Solar panel wiring

[Elbo]

Doing business this way is all new to me so please be kind. I have a 2014 -16' Sport and would like to install a solar panel and what I have read in our pamphlet's says the Sport is already wired for solar but I do not know where the wiring is. Help and thank you. Elbo

[gandttimes]

Not to pass the buck, but you might ask your delivering dealer, if you bought it new, or Airstream because from what I know, the answers will vary.


George

[idroba]

It should be in the manual somewhere. On my 2014 FC 20' it was mentioned somewhere I know. Probably in the electrical section of the manual.

Mine starts at the front ceiling vent, tucked in behind the vent trim. It terminates (in mine) under the front bed. There are two #10 wires, as I recall one yellow and the other yellow with a green stripe, but memory has faded a bit on the colors.

[peetoe]

I had a 2006 23' and the prewiring was found in the fridge outside acess door. So installing the wire you simply dropped your new solar panel wire down the fridge vent and connected the two up. The other end of the Prewire is at the electrical bus. My 25' I found the pre installed solar wire in the front fantastic fan just remove the inside cover to the vent and there it was. Airstream told me it would be at the rear fan. After searching around I gave up and found it up front.

[rmkrum]

Do keep on mind that the 'pre-wire' is rather smallish wire.


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[lewster]

[QUOTE=rmkrum;1570300]Do keep on mind that the 'pre-wire' is rather smallish wire.


...............and............the solar charge controller should be wired directly to your batteries. This is especially true when you have the limited space found on a 16. You certainly don't want any voltage drop in your system!

[rmkrum]

Funny bit is that we searched for the top end of the light gauge pre-wire, never found it (book was wrong). So we wisely gave up, ran all new heavy wire from charge controller direct to the batteries. Wire to junction box to panels is also short and heavy.

System charges nicely all the time, displays voltage on the batteries no matter what is going on with use/store switch. Basically came out good in spite of ourselves. AM Solar made a great kit for our AS and had decent instructions. Only stupidity was drilling holes in the roof for mounting feet instead of using tape. Live and learn...


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